Lever tool



June 23, 1959 H. J. KOELSCH LEVER TOOL Filed June 2.6, 1956 INVENTOR. HENRY J. KOELSCH PARKER 2 CARTER AT TORNEYS United States Patent LEVER TOOL Henry J. Koelsch, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 26, 1956, Serial No. 593,958

2 Claims. (Cl. 254-120) My invention relates to tools and more particularly to a lever type of tool, especially adapted for use in loading materials in railway box cars or trailer bodies, which have conventional perforated side rails to support the ends of detachable bars extending across the car or body enclosure, to retain packed goods in the latter.

The principal purpose of my invention is to provide a simple and highly efiicient hand tool in the form of a lever, which is adaptable for detachable engagement with the perforated side rails to force the retaining bars against the material being supported before their engagement at both ends with the apertures in the perforated side rails.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lever construction of the character described, which is portable, easily placed into position, and easily removed.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the tool shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the tool;

Figure 4 is a schematic lay-out of a box car, or the like, equipped with conventional perforated side rails, and showing the manner in which the tool is placed in position when in use;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the device in engagement with the side rail, and showing its relation to a retaining bar placed against the packed material which is shown in phantom; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a conventional retaining bar, showing the means for engagement with the apertures of the side rail.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character 10 indicates generally a lever which has an eye portion 11 at one end for accommodating a pivot pin 12. A base or yoke member 13 has spaced upper and lower portions in the form of projecting plates 14 and 14' between which the eye portion 11 of the lever 10 is inserted with the pivot pin 12 passing through said plates and the eye portion 11 of the lever 10. Plate 14 projects beyond a transverse intermediate portion 13 which extends between the plates 14 and 14. The outer end of plate 14 is provided with two pins shown as 16 and 16', which pins project downwardly parallel to the pivot pin 12, for selective engagement with apertures 17 formed along side rails 18, which are fixed as usual on both side walls inside a box car, shown as 19 in Figure 4. These side rails 18 may extend as usual along the entire length of the box car or trailer body. These side rails are commonly used to support the ends of one or more retaining bars, one of which is shown at 20. Said bar is also provided with pins 20 and 21 at each end, spaced for selective engagement with apertures 17 in the side rails 18.

The lever 10 of the tool has an arcuate portion 22 intermediate its ends.

As thus formed, the pivot 12 and pins 16 are on opposite sides of transverse portion 13 and the lever 10 has a normal position such that its longitudinal is generally perpendicular to a plane containing the axes of the pins 16.

The use of the tool is as follows: The retaining bar 20 is placed against the material being packed, with both ends of said bar riding on the side rails 18. The pins 16 and 16 of the tool are then placed in apertures 17 closely adjacent one end of the bar 20, with the arcuate portion 22 in engagement with said bar. The lever is then swung so as to force the retaining bar bodily against the material 23 into a position where the pins 21 and 21 on both ends of the retaining bar 20 will engage the proper apertures 17 of both side rails 18 at each side of the bar (see Figures 4 and 5).

The effective length of the lever may be increased by inserting a pipe, or the like (-not shown), over the outer end 24 of the lever 10, to apply more leverage. As soon as the retaining bar is in position to hold the material 23 so that it will not be disturbed when shunting or humping freight cars, or the like, the device may be removed from the apertures 17 of the side rails 18, and be used in the same, or any other box car or trailer body similarly equipped with side bars.

Obviously, two tools may be employed at one time in order to force both ends of a retaining bar into position, if necessary or desirable.

Although I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in a tool of the character described, a base member having a lever arm pivotally connected thereto, said base having an upper portion and a lower portion with an intermediate portion extending between said upper and lower portions and transversely thereto, said base having a pair of parallel positioning pins projecting from said upper portion in depending relation thereto and parallel with the axis of pivotal connection of said lever arm, said pins being on one side of said intermediate portion and said arm being carried by a pivot pin on the other side thereof, said pivot pin extending between said upper and lower portions, said lever, in-a normal position thereof, extending in -a direction such that its longitudinal axis is generally perpendicular to a plane containing the axes of each of said pins and being swingable to each side of and returnable toward such position, and said lever having a laterally oifset portion intermediate its ends for engagement with an adjacent movable member.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the laterally oflset portion of the lever consists of an arcuately formed bend therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,404 Harris Feb. 2, 1909 1,981,763 Usadel Nov. 20, 1934 2,252,108 Worthington Aug. 12, 1941 

